In her prayer Hannah praised God for His salvation accomplished through His marvelous deeds. Her prayer was related to God’s move in His economy and indicated that she realized something concerning God’s economy.

Some MSS read, Though actions are not weighed.

Samuel was of the tribe of Levi (1 Chron. 6:33-38) but was not of the house of Aaron, the family of the priests ordained by God. Samuel ministered to the Lord as one who was a priest not by birth but by the Nazarite vow. At the time of Samuel the priesthood of the house of Aaron was utterly fallen. God, however, foresaw the situation. Besides His ordaining the house of Aaron to be the priests, He made a supplement — the Nazarite vow in Num. 6 — in case there should be an inadequacy in the ordained priests. When the house of Aaron fell, this supplement was put into practical use. Samuel became a priest by being consecrated, separated, and lent to God (1 Sam. 1:11, 28). See note Num. 6:2¹.

Samuel grew up under the custody of the elderly Eli (1 Sam. 1:25). In his youth Samuel ministered to Jehovah before Eli (vv. 11, 18-19), being taught by Eli the way to minister to God. While Samuel was learning, he observed the deterioration of the degraded Aaronic priesthood (vv. 12-17, 22-25). This did not weaken Samuel in his future Nazarite priesthood; rather, it became a constant warning to him throughout his priestly service.

Many MSS read, for.

Eli attempted to say something to his sons (vv. 23-25), but it seems that he was somewhat loose and that his exhortation was not very strong, faithful, desperate, and absolute (v. 29). Eli’s sons brought the curse upon themselves, and Eli did not restrain them (1 Sam. 3:13).

Or, that I hear; you are making Jehovah’s people transgress.

Some MSS omit the words as slaves.

Lit., He.

Some MSS read, as men.

Samuel was a priest not by birth but by God raising him up particularly. As a priest Samuel replaced and, in a sense, terminated the stale Aaronic priesthood. He did not rebel against the house of Aaron, and he did not usurp anything of the house of Aaron. As Samuel was growing, God arranged the environment to perfect him and to build up his capacity to do everything that was needed for God to change the age. God used Samuel to change the age not through rebellion but through the way of divine revelation. Samuel was a man of revelation (1 Sam. 3:21), and he did everything according to what he saw. Furthermore, he was a man according to God’s heart — a copy, a duplicate, of God’s heart. As such a person, he would never do anything rebellious.

Samuel’s whole being and person, not just his doing, living, and work, were according to God. Samuel’s being and God’s heart were one. For this reason it is not too much to say that Samuel, a man according to God, was the acting God on earth. God’s mind was Samuel’s consideration. He had no other thought, consideration, or thinking. His living and working were for the carrying out of whatever was in God’s heart. As a consequence, Samuel was one who turned the age.

Samuel anointed Saul and David to be kings (1 Sam. 10:1; 16:1, 13). This was according to God’s ordination that Samuel should go before His anointed continually to supervise the king, observing what the king was doing. This indicates that Samuel, the acting God on earth, was greater than the king. Samuel could be qualified to such an extent because for many years God had been perfecting him uniquely for His economy.